ORILLIA, Ont. – Police say alcohol consumption and other risky behaviours are consistent factors in boating and off-road-vehicle deaths in Ontario over the past 10 years.
The Ontario Provincial Police have released fatality data over ten years from 2005 to 2014 with the hopes of raising safety awareness.
The data shows that 226 of the 276 people who died in boating incidents were not wearing a life-jacket at the time.
READ MORE: OPP reports deadly month for road collisions: 27 killed since June 1
Police say capsized boats and falling overboard were the leading causes of boating deaths.
The statistics show that alcohol and drugs played a role in 77 of 165 off-road vehicle deaths in the areas covered by the OPP, while not wearing a helmet was a factor in 74 deaths.
The OPP says most of these deaths are preventable if people would make better decisions.
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